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Monday, 20 April 2015

What You Can Learn About Wine From Drinking With The French!

In France, all wine is good French wine.

In France, drinking French wine is the norm. That seems
oversimplified, but it’s the reason you can enjoy a pleasant wine with
very little fuss. There’s no stressing over what to choose, it’s as
simple as drinking what’s available.

It’s not as if only sommeliers, VIPs and CEOs are able to enjoy,
learn about and discuss French wine. Diners at any French café or bistro
can choose a simple vin du pays
(table wine) in rouge, blanc or rosé. This wine will arrive in a
pitcher, half-pitcher or glass. No label, no winemaker, no region. If
you order vin du pays rouge and you like red wine, you’ll probably like
what’s in the pitcher – unless you are really picky and then you don’t
get any French wine… or lobster.

When you first get to France you’ll probably be tired, but excited
and hungry, so this easy give-me-the-table wine approach is a nice
transition into doing things the French way. But after some sleep and a
hot café crème, you’ll get curious and ambitious. You’ll start saying
Bonjour Monsieur and très bien even though you didn’t speak French
yesterday. When this happens you’ll find yourself ready for the carte
des vins (wine list). Before you freak out and worry that this is going
to cost you your dignity and a million bucks, understand your options.
Many Americans are surprised to find that wine can be purchased in une
demi-bouteille (a half-bottle). Of course full bottles are available,
and no one will fault you for ordering a full bottle. If the restaurant
takes wine seriously – and you’re in France so that goes without saying
– trust that whatever wine they serve, from what’s on their list, to
what’s in the pitcher, has been selected with great care so you should
feel comfortable ordering whatever suits you. Rest easy.

How to know what you are ordering.

It’s true that France’s wine system is complex, precise and
meaningful. It’s also true that you don’t need to be an expert in all
that to enjoy French wine. Understand that French wine is labeled first
by where it comes from, or Appellation d’origine Contrôlée (AOC).
Again, think of the Maine lobsters. A lobster from Maine isn’t a
lobster from Thailand. Thus, a wine from Pouilly-Fuisse isn’t a wine
from Montrachet.
But, in this case, if you get a bottle from either region it’s probably
much, much better than a Thai lobster (if that’s even a thing).

The label also indicates the winemaker, likely indicated by the words
domaine or château. You may also see a winery with the word clos in the
name, technically meaning an enclosed vineyard. If you see these
terms, or a specific winemaker name, you can attribute the wine to that
particular maker. Sometimes it will say, for example, Perrin et Fils.
This means Perrin and Sons, a family enterprise.

Other indications are on the label, such as the vintage year, the
specific vineyard (or lack thereof) and if the wine was bottled on the
estate. Other details for specific wines may also be present. It could
read like a book, or a statement.

But let’s say you are the easy-going type, only concerned with your
own tastes, or how the wine will pair with your meal. This might come as
a surprise, if you believe the traditional talk on French waiters, but
don’t be afraid to ask. French people are more formal, as a tendency,
and you won’t be greeted with a how-you-guys-doing approach. This is for
your benefit, as the customer. The person serving you is trained and
compelled to do the job correctly. While it might not be back-slapping
friendly, you’ll get an educated answer. Don’t be afraid to ask your
waiter or the sommelier for a recommendation, say a bottle for less than
20€ to pair with your Maine lobster (or whatever).

It’s acceptable in Paris and other cities to speak English if you
must, just be as friendly as you can en français first, and move on en
anglais, if that’s the best you can do. If you are speaking to a person
and neither of you speak the same language, do your best to communicate
politely. This applies in a busy French bistro or on the beaches of
Thailand. You’ll get your lobster, you might just have to use hand
gestures and a lot of smiling.

The good stuff is everywhere.

Again, with the lobsters… you drive into Portland and there are
little lobster shacks everywhere, you can just get out of your van and
grab a luxurious gastronomic treat. It’s no big deal. Every Maine
resident can have up to five lobster traps, so that guy at the toll
booth, maybe he’ll give you one of his.

It’s kind of the same way in France. In fact, les aires sur les
autoroutes, (rest stops on the expressway) even serve and sell wine.
Some of them, in wine growing regions, even have grapevines in their
landscaping. The official website for the French motorways assures,
several times, a pleasant stop. How civilized. Wine everywhere will
become an expectation. Bars, hotels, restaurants, wine estates…all of
these places will have a selection of wine that represents the
establishment. And while this might seem overwhelming, remember that
it’s for your pleasure. It’s there to enjoy.

If you see a spot that offers la dégustation des vins, they are
offering a wine tasting. Some wine shops offer tastings, and many wine
estates do as well. You might need a reservation, but you may not. Yes,
there are the big-deal places with the wow wines and with that comes
some expectations on your part. But if you’d rather be yourself, learn
and relax, you’ll find plenty of welcoming places. The French are taking
on a bit of the Napa-style wine tasting approach, but you’ll still find
a natural quality, a more serene and personal experience, in France. In
some estates you’ll even meet the winemaker, or be shown around the
grounds by members of the team.

You’ll also hear a lot about terroir. This is the land, the place,
the soil where the grapes came from. It has a big impact on the wine.
This is why the label is so important. It’s not just to impress, it’s to
impart meaning and history.

But you still need to taste. For yourself.

You might not be French; you might not even be going to France. You
might be from Maine or Thailand. You can still enjoy les vins de France
without getting a kink in your neck or a hole in your purse. Remember
the joie de vie that’s attached to being French? It’s in your glass,
whether you know it or not.